FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility
Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
 

[   ] 

Check this box if no longer
subject to Section 16. Form 4 or
Form 5 obligations may continue.
See Instruction 1(b).

(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person*          





       Whitmire,  Jr.      C.        Donald

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol





      Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. (FCX)

6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
                  (Check all applicable)

Director

10% Owner

X

Officer (give
title below)

Other (specify
below)

Vice President and Controller - Financial Reporting

(Last)                    (First)                (Middle)



1615 Poydras Street

4. Statement for
    Month/Day/Year

            05/03/02

7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X

Form filed by One Reporting Person

   New Orleans  Louisiana   70112

Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

(City)                      (State)                  (Zip)

Table I ¾  Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

2. Trans-
    action
    Date



  (Month/
    Day/
   Year)

2A.
Deemed
Execution
Date, if
any

  (Month/
    Day/
   Year)

3. Trans-
    action
    Code
    (Instr.8)

4. Securities Acquired (A)
    or Disposed of (D)
    (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)

5. Amount of
    Securities
    Beneficially
    Owned
    Following
    Reported
    Transaction(s)
    (Instr. 3 and 4)

6. Owner-
    ship
    Form:
    Direct
    (D) or
    Indirect
    (I)
  (Instr. 4)

7. Nature of
    Indirect
    Beneficial
    Owner-
    ship


   (Instr. 4)

Code

V

Amount

(A)
or
(D)

Price

 Class B Common Stock⁽¹⁾

1,486⁽²⁾

D

 Class B Common Stock

1,072

I

By IRA for Self

 Class A Common Stock Restricted Stock Units

05/03/02

J⁽³⁾

 V

 664

 D

0⁽⁴⁾

D

 Class B Common Stock Restricted Stock Units

05/03/02

J⁽³⁾

 V

 662

 A

662

D

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.

*

If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).

Persons who respond to the collection of information contained
in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays
a currently valid OMB control number.

(Over)
SEC 1474 (9-02)

FORM 4 (continued)

Table II ¾  Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

(Month/
 Day/
Year)

4. Trans-
    action
    Code
    (Instr.8)

5. Number of Deriv-
    ative Securities
    Acquired (A) or
    Disposed of (D)
    (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)

6. Date Exer-
    cisable and
    Expiration
    Date
    (Month/Day/
    Year)

7. Title and Amount of
    Underlying Securities
    (Instr. 3 and 4)

8. Price
    of
    Deriv-
    ative
    Secur-
    ity
    (Instr.
    5)

9. Number
   of deriv-
   ative
   Secur-
   ities
   Bene-
   ficially
   Owned
   Follow-
   ing
   Reported
   Trans-
   action(s)
   (Instr. 4)

Code

V

(A)

(D)

Date
Exer-
cisable

Expira-
tion
Date

Title

Amount or
Number of
Shares

 Options⁽⁵⁾ (right to buy)

$13.95

05/03/02

J⁽⁶⁾

V

15,000

01/29/03⁽⁷⁾

01/29/12

Class A Common Stock

15,000

None

0

D

 Options⁽⁵⁾ (right to buy)

$13.9734

05/03/02

J⁽⁶⁾

V

14,974

01/29/03⁽⁷⁾

01/29/12

Class B Common Stock

14,974

None

14,974

D

Explanation of Responses:

1. Effective May 3, 2002, the Company converted all shares of Class A Common Stock to shares of Class B Common Stock (the "Reclassification").

2. Formerly reported as Class A Common Stock.  This number reflects an increase of 664 shares because of the vesting of 664 Class A Common Stock Restricted Stock Units on February 1, 2002.

3. Pursuant to the Reclassification, and in order to maintain the intrinsic value of the Class A Common Stock Restricted Stock Units that were being converted, the Company reduced the number of Class B Common Stock Restricted Stock Units that were  issued in the conversion.

4. This number reflects a decrease of 664 Class A Common Stock Restricted Stock Units because of the vesting of such Class A Common Stock Restricted Stock Units on February 1, 2002.

5. Options with limited stock appreciation rights

6. Pursuant to the Reclassification, and in order to maintain the intrinsic value of the options that were being converted, the Company adjusted the options by reducing the number of outstanding options and increasing the exercise price.

7. 25% exercisable on the date indicated and 25% exercisable on each of the next three anniversaries thereof

 /s/ Margaret F. Murphy

12/02/02

**

Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations.

**Signature of Reporting Person

Date

See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).

C. Donald Whitmire, Jr.

Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient,
         see Instruction 6 for procedure.

Potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not
required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.

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